A Prisoner of Thoughts

I think often of a statement that was made to me during a conversation about a year ago; at which time someone looked at me and said these words, "I will never change the way that I think!" My first reaction was one of surprise, because who wants to live a life of no change. I mean, if there is no change in thinking, how can it bring about a change in being? After a while, it dawned on me that that statement was one of the saddest statements I had ever heard! I immediately though of a prison cell. Only a prison cell would yield such a statement. A place of no return; of no hope; of no promises! This person had been sentenced to life, by one statement! "I will never...!" This person is still captive of negativity and thoughts of their past. A prisoner of lies, that the enemy has surrounded with prison bars! 

Although God gave us the ability to think; He also gave our minds the ability to receive thoughts. Good AND bad! However, He also gave us plenty of scriptures that cover what we should do with those thoughts in the event that they are not of Him. Unfortunately, the enemy does most of his dirty work at the level of the thought process. Our thoughts can be persuaded and influenced by the enemy to bring plenty of pain and confusion! It can take you from a place of laughter to a place of depression; It can take you from a place of winning to a place of losing; It can take you from a place of fulfilling your purpose to becoming a prison of your past! 

Ever been plagued by thoughts of your past? Where the thoughts of what used to be, what used to happen, what didn't happen, what should've happened, and what could've happened, all rush in like a flood and seem to drown out everything in you that wants to succeed? When thoughts of your past bogart into your mind like a thief, with no warning? and no respecter of scriptures such as Romans 12:2 that tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, OR Philippians 4:8 that tells us to think of true, noble, pure, lovely, and admirable things? Thoughts that seem to tear down
2 Corinthians 10:5, that tells us to take captive every single thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God!  Have you been there? We don't even see them coming; the negative thoughts just lets themselves in...and we find ourselves locked in battle!  

I don't know who I'm writing about, other than myself, but I'm supposed to tell you that those thoughts of your past are the enemy's last resort to try and keep you on the wrong side of your purpose! You keep waiting for your past to bid you farewell; but the thoughts of your past will never bid you farewell because they want to keep your mind from changing locations! Listen, the enemy knows that you're getting close to your season, ...I'm sure he can feel the atmosphere around you changing! Problem is...he's not in control of your atmosphere! God is!  I'm sure that he can feel the change in the ground that you are standing upon...how it used to be shaky, but now it's solid! but he can't do anything about that! He's not in control of the ground in which you stand...God is! 
Let the devil know that he is too late! Let him know that when Jesus died on the Cross, your past sins and mistakes were put to death with Him! And that on the 3rd day He got up and sealed your future! 

Final thoughts: 
We have got to start reminding the enemy of his fate! Every time he attacks our thoughts, we need to remind him of his future! There is nothing that can slow up our future like, holding on to our past! We can't enjoy the change that is taking place in our atmosphere because we are buying into Satan's lies about who we are and where we are going! We have got to stop giving life to thoughts that God is trying to put to death! The enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy...and he's starting with the minds of the saints! We need to pray every scripture that we can on that which comes against our right thinking!

Satan can only speak to your past! He has no authority over your future! That is God's territory! He only knows about your past, that's why he uses it against you! He lacks in fresh new material! It's the same song that he plays in hopes to discourage us away from our faith walk! Even if there is truth to what he throws at you; you keep reminding him of your future that is secured by God's plan for your life...and then remind him of his future and God's plan for him!